Rhizosphere imaging for Arctic tundra soils
EMSL Project ID
48542
Abstract
Northern circumpolar soils cover only 16% of the total land surface area yet account for nearly 50% of the estimated global organic carbon (C) pool. This reservoir is critical to global C budgets as it exceeds the storage capacity of plants and sub-arctic soils combined and appears chemically vulnerable to decomposition as soils warm. The Arctic is experiencing unprecedented rates of regional warming, which may convert the Arctic from a net sink to net source of atmospheric carbon as soil organic matter (SOM) decomposes. However, our ability to predict the response of global C cycling is limited by significant uncertainties in our understanding of alternative processes that may counteract or enhance SOM loss. For example, warming appears to drive greater shrub recruitment and net primary productivity, which could either sequester C in woody biomass or stimulate microbial activity and SOM loss through litter and root C inputs. As part of this research, we need to understand how microbes interact with soils and plant roots. High resolution imaging techniques can provide important insights into these associations. Thus, we propose to utilize EMSL capabilities to acquire high-resolution images and movies to demonstrate the close association of microbes with plants and soils in the Arctic.
Project Details
Project type
Limited Scope
Start Date
2014-09-08
End Date
2014-10-24
Status
Closed
Released Data Link
Team
Principal Investigator